


Complicated Still Life with Conceptual Projection ("Journey to Babel")

by scap3goat (kriegswaffel)



Series: A variation in retrospect [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M, M/M, POV Third Person, Spiced Peaches (e-zine), making up medical facts, post credits scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-03 07:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4093168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kriegswaffel/pseuds/scap3goat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amanda is noticing that something’s changed about Spock in the past eighteen years - she didn't mean to find out just how much, but she's not disappointed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Complicated Still Life with Conceptual Projection ("Journey to Babel")

Sarek had demanded that Amanda go and have some rest at their rooms when she'd fallen asleep for the third time that evening. She was still concerned for her husband - especially since he'd proven how negligent he was of his own health or determined not to let her know the true state of it so she wouldn't worry - but his logic was sound, even she had to admit.

The sickbay was quiet and near dark, only a few dim lights so nobody would fall over their own two feet. It was dark enough that she didn't notice Spock was gone until she stepped up to his bed to see how he was doing - and found it empty. She looked back at Sarek, just about to ask him for an explanation, but he had his eyes closed already and she did not want to risk waking him.

When she reached the doorway she heard muted voices - and although a lady shouldn't be eavesdropping she couldn't help but gravitating to the voices when she instantly had recognised Spock's voice. She reasoned that it wasn't really eavesdropping as she had had the firm intention to reveal herself before, well, before things had revealed themselves to her.

"Technically you're still on bedrest until tomorrow morning. Under medical supervision in my sickbay," McCoy grumbled. His tone made Amanda smile a little. She'd almost forgotten how expressive speech could be and how much care could be disguised under a sharp tone and seemingly antagonistic behaviour. Vulcans would show neither.

"I assure you, Doctor, I shall rest, in a bed, under medical supervision. Just not in your sickbay," Spock replied gently. His voice had a subtle lilt to it that Amanda had only ever noticed on him on the Enterprise. It seemed to her as well that he had softened a little from the bitter young man she'd last seen on Vulcan.

And she hadn't known him to speak in near-code. With a human she would have suspected that he was implying that 'medical supervision' meant a significant other that he was sharing his life - or at least bed.

For a moment Amanda wondered if Spock was a little more human than he led on - Nurse Chapel had been fussing greatly over his well-being the past day and maybe...?

"I'm not happy with this, Spock," McCoy said again, this time serious and openly concerned.

It was a surprising tone to hear from him after all the bickering and biting comments to Spock. But it proved her theory about him caring right.

"We put your bone marrow into overdrive, even your liver's been compensating the blood loss as well - something the Vulcan liver doesn't and now you're filled up with haemoglobin up to the pointy tips of your ears. You probably haven't been this pink since you were born! And I don't know how your adult body will hold up."

Amanda bit back a chuckle at that. Yes, indeed, Spock had been as rosy as a human baby as a newborn. The doctors had explained that due to his human genes his bone marrow hadn't started producing blood cells, as was normal for a Vulcan foetus, and instead his liver had produced iron loaded blood-cells, as it was normal for a human foetus, and that he might or might not develop the Vulcan equivalent once his bone marrow started producing blood. Back then Amanda hadn't known how to feel about Spock's blood turning green but after the last few days she was more than glad that his Vulcan genome had overruled the human in terms of blood production.

Over her musing she hadn't noticed the silence until McCoy spoke again:

"Quite a surprise to meet your parents like that. And they're a little different from what I imagined." There was a pause. "You could have told me, you know? About your mother, I mean."

As the conversation had turned more private McCoy's tone became more insecure and Amanda was honestly surprised and intrigued.

"It would have given me something to work with," McCoy added.

"As you said, you had expectations previous to meeting them. Had I told you that my father is an ambassador and my mother human, how would you have expected them to be?"

There was another pause and Amanda couldn't help but hold her breath.

"Well, probably not much different from how they are. Your father's very Vulcan, your mother is a Lady. Both are elegant and refined people who have raised an exceptional son - no wonder you fell out with your father when you chose a different career."

"Do you feel this would have been conductive to your perception of yourself?"

Now Amanda was confused. How were Sarek and she in any way relevant to McCoy's self?

"You're right, probably not," McCoy finally said, the sigh afterwards making sound a little defeated. "Damn your logic."

"My father chose the diplomatic corps after following his father's path for a while. He ventured outside the norm and married my mother. I followed my father's path as he had followed his father’s. Then I ventured outside the norm and joined Starfleet to reach out to my mother's species. And to explore the galaxy and develop a new understanding for it, the species in it and myself. I am no longer bound to my father's ways and choices."

Amanda felt a little pride and joy when Spock spoke about wanting to learn more about humans and possibly being human. She had always known that he would always follow the Vulcan way, but knowing that he was not rejecting his heritage as he previously had was a huge weight off her shoulders.

McCoy laughed softly after a small pause. "You've got a complicated way of making me feel confident."

"Direct comfort would soon make you feel flattered and you have a habit of becoming incredibly pleased with yourself when flattered, which is not my intention."

There was another laugh from McCoy. "I accept this criticism and raise you a question. This finger thing your parents do all the time..."

To Amanda it felt like a impudently personal question for a moment until she remembered that McCoy couldn't know and that he had probably couldn't know how intimate the gesture was.

“It is a more or less intimate gesture to show affiliation to one’s bond-mate. The best comparison, I believe, would be a kiss."

"A kiss? Your parents run around the ship in a Vulcan lip-lock?" McCoy asked incredulously - and Amanda could do nothing but blush as she realised how, out of concern for her husband and for his quarrel with Spock and in the absence of other Vulcans, they had touched near constantly in public.

"It is more of a mental connection than a physical one," Spock replied. "Maybe you would prefer a demonstration?"

"Only once you're in bed - and if you promise that it'll not lead to any bed- _unrest_ ," McCoy replied cheekily.

"I shall promise nothing, for the uncertain variable in this scenario proves to be your person - and I have yet to find any algorithm capable of even just approximating your behaviour."

A chair was being moved and McCoy laughed. "Well, out of purely scientific reasons I might enjoy finding out just how rosy you can turn."

Footsteps came closer and Amanda quickly dashed back into the darkened sickbay, in the direction of Sarek's bed. If McCoy came to check on Sarek before he left she might be able to pretend that she'd been there all along and not just listened in on a conversation revealing to her the intimate relationship of her son and the ship's surgeon.

She hadn't quite reached Sarek's bed when McCoy turned up at the door and softly called out to her.

"Lady Amanda. You're still here?"

She turned around, hoping that the dim light wouldn't reveal her burning cheeks. "I was just up to get a glass of water. I'll go to bed soon, I keep falling asleep. How is Spock? Has he been released?"

McCoy nodded, eyebrows drawn together. "Yes, he needs some bedrest, a few quiet days. But nothing that really keeps him inside these four walls. If you don't mind me saying, you should retire soon. As a matter of fact, I'm just about to turn in myself. The night nurse will be around to check on Sarek."

Amanda nodded. "Thank you." She quickly took a step forward, clasping McCoy's hands briefly between hers. "Thank you for everything you've done for Sarek - and for Spock. As a wife and mother I couldn't hope for anyone better to take care of them."

McCoy cleared his throat and gave her a crooked smile. "Well, I do my best. Though Spock might claim differently."

She laughed softly and stepped back. "Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Lady Amanda," McCoy replied and turned away.

She listened closely and just before the outer sickbay door closed she could hear the double-beat of two pairs of boots. Smiling softly she turned to Sarek who'd sat up in bed.

"My wish was for you to go and rest," he began. "Is it about Spock?"

"Yes and no," Amanda replied, smiling knowingly. "Everything's fine. I think I finally can stop worrying."

"Then all is well and you should go and sleep," Sarek demanded again.

Amanda smiled dreamily and left the sickbay.


End file.
